The viewing of a video program, such as a television program, movie, or sporting event, is rarely enjoyed without being interrupted by some activity that requires a viewer to leave the room where the program is being viewed. Distractions such as necessary bathroom breaks, telephone calls, and snack breaks often require the viewer to leave the viewing area, and consequently miss part of the displayed video program.
One solution to this problem is to utilize a time-shifted approach, where the broadcast is “paused” during the time that the viewer needs to leave the viewing area. However, although this may be a solution in some cases, there are a number of instances where it is undesirable or impossible to pause the broadcast for a break. For example, if the program is live and unable to be recorded and/or timeshifted, the viewer departing will result in him missing a portion of the program. Additionally, even for a program that can be timeshifted by pausing, it may undesirable to do so because there may be others in the viewing area watching the broadcast who would be inconvenienced by having their viewing experience interrupted.